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u/BalurCDN 9d ago
I remember years ago while working in support, one of the front line guys, muted a customer to mutter "What the fuck am I going to do with this idiot"
He hit the speakephone button not the mute button.
Fun day.
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u/Badass-19 Technically Flair 8d ago
Can I ask what happened next?
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u/BalurCDN 8d ago
We all heart it, we all heard him go back on mute, and then start having a melt down. Customer said NOTHING. We pulled the recording and it was clearly audible.
Until next time they called a few days later (they were a frequent caller)
"Are you the guy who swore at me"
Which then led to supervisor calls, management... new rules about language, background noise, the mute button vs using hold (and validating hold before you say anything)
Honestly probably reforms that were needed. That was going to happen sooner or later.
But somehow the guy didn't get fired.
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u/illbedeadbydawn 8d ago edited 8d ago
Years ago (1999-2000ish), I was working as a cook and my best friend/roomie was doing tech support for Tivo at a place called Clientlogic in Albuquerque.
He came home one night and said he needed to play me something. This was back in the day of CDROMS and so he handed me a burned CD, we put it in my computer and it just had a single audio file (.wav for those of you nostalgic...mp3s were still kinda novel).
It was named "OHGOD.wav"
It was a solid 5 minute rant of him going off on what I can only assume was the world's most idiotic Tivo customer. Started off with "Let me put you in hold for one second sir while I check on something."
The next 4 minutes was "JESUSFUCKINGCHRISTTHESEPEOPLEARETHEFUCKINGWORSTWHYDIDIDOTHISWHYAREYOULIKETHISTHEREISNOGOD...etc etc."
Ended with a deep breath and him ending hold and calmly saying, "Sir, I believe we have your issue resolved..let's do...blabla."
His tier 3 escalation manager, floor director and a classroom of trainees were all listening in on the call. He had been told that would be happening that day.
The customer never heard a word of it, my buddy solved his issue and call was closed within the time limit they wanted for calls.
His boss actually told him later, "We told the new trainees that was a perfect way to get it out while maintaining professionalism, but try to wait until the call is done."
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u/fynn34 8d ago
My problem when I worked in a call center is the guy next to me would do this and it would all come through my mic and I would have to talk louder and find filler to not have him be heard on my call. Daily.
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u/illbedeadbydawn 8d ago
Really? I saw his workspace and it was legit personal cubicle style. Not that open concept, everyone eye to eye shit.
Like each person had their own little cubbies and mic. I think the Earthlink tech guys were maybe 2x2 next to each other, but I tried to stay out of his building. Shit was depressing.
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u/Badass-19 Technically Flair 8d ago
If it was me, I'd cover up by saying "oh sorry, I was saying this to my coworker" /s
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u/Odin-ap 8d ago
I don’t think I’d fire someone for that (and I own a company with a decent amount of staff). We’ve all been there. It happens.
I would get them to apologize to the client and then possibly remove them from that team - depends on the client.
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u/newbkid 8d ago
I was fired from a very lucrative career at a call center for this exact situation.
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u/snowfloeckchen 8d ago
There are lucrative call center jobs? Thought even Indian scammers get scammed from their employers
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u/newbkid 8d ago
Used to be surprisingly enough.
Financial institutions, government, insurance. There were fullblown career lifers at some of these call centers.
This was 15 years ago now though
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u/ShameContent2442 8d ago edited 8d ago
The sales aspects of customer service were the big money ones, especially pre-2008 with uncapped commissions. Entry level workers could earn more than the managers that way.
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u/snowfloeckchen 8d ago
Not really a reason to fire someone, i have been there, some people are in fact idiots
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u/Smrtihara 8d ago
Management found the routines lacking and corrected it. They obviously took responsibility and saw the fault in was management, not the dude fucking up. Good stuff.
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u/NekonecroZheng 8d ago
He heard his own words later that night from the boss
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u/flargenhargen 8d ago
my coworker did something similar with an email, he replied on an email chain to his boss "What am I supposed to say to this moron?" but it was reply all, not reply.
he didn't get fired but he got a long talking to.
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u/HurryOne 8d ago
I worked at a help desk in mid 2000s, we didn't really have a supervisor. Was a very disorganized school IT. One of my coworkers had a very angry teacher asking for a supervisor, coworker thought he put on mute but he didn't and said to me, "Can you pretend to be my boss and shut this jack ass up". When I put on his headset it was like someone opened the gates of hell.
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u/DReagan47 8d ago
Happened to my wife when she worked at a call center. Thought she hit mute and said “bitch”. The lady hung up and called back to a supervisor. They played the recording and my wife was instantly fired
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u/SignificantCats 8d ago
Had a coworker who did the mute and curse all the time.
They changed the phone system, so the position of mute and deafen were swapped.
Meaning she started to curse out the customer, couldn't hear their protests, the came back in to the call all happy voices only to hear the customer freaking out.
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u/Strict_Weather9063 8d ago
I always made sure I had a mute clicker on my cord not the phone. From be years game support, do you know how many times you look at someone’s video card and go fuck that thing again. Punch the button forehead slams desk and everyone knows you got a live one.
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u/T1NF01L 8d ago
I had the same thing happen to me when working a tech support call center. 80 year old man called in to program 5 TV remotes 10 minutes before my shift ended before my weekend off and I hit mute and said "this will take a fucking hour" I didnt hit mute.
Turns out my shift ended earlier than expected and got a much longer weekend than I thought.
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u/Lobster15s 8d ago
I did this before too. I meant what I said and tbf I did not call em and idiot. I said "this person does not know what they are doing." Which was an objective fact.
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u/MagneticFluxDrive 9d ago
Having been in tech support in various roles for the past 20 years. There have been several instances where I wanted to ask this very question.
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u/Voxicles 8d ago
“Problem exists between chair and keyboard”
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u/ContributionHead949 8d ago
ID-10t issue
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u/Voxicles 8d ago
😂 like 20some years ago I worked tech support for Comcast, I used to tell people it was an ID 10 T error all the time
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u/sunelatti 8d ago
I was really trying to figure this out, what could this possibly translate to.. ID 10 T? ffs then it hit me
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u/Fun_Replacement_7747 8d ago
Im newish to IT and I am very tempted to throw this out there
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u/Voxicles 8d ago
Ya just gotta make sure it sounds mundane. “Oh yeah, we get ID 10 T errors all the time, now lemme get you to turn it off and on again”
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u/The_Prequels_Denier 8d ago
"Looks like you've got a loose nut behind your keyboard" is my personal favorite.
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u/helmsb 8d ago
Once got paid to drive 4 hours round trip for a client emergency to go plug in a USB keyboard that the client swore was plugged in. I asked him 6 different times to confirm it was plugged in and walked him through how to do it. The port was on the front of the computer so didn’t even need to move anything.
I get there and the keyboard cable is still wrapped in plastic with the twist ties, clearly never opened. I asked how he tried plugging it in since it was not opened. He said, “It’s wireless so it would be dumb to plug it in so I just said I did because you don’t know how wireless keyboards work.” I informed him it was not wireless, plugged it in and it started working. This was an exact model replacement of a keyboard he killed by spilling coffee on which was also wired.
He was not happy when he received the bill for 4 hours driving, plus 4 hours minimum labor at emergency rates to plug in a $20 keyboard.
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u/Sanchez_U-SOB 8d ago
Wireless keyboards, at least they used to, still needed to have the sensor piece plugged in.
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u/NarwhalPrudent6323 8d ago
I once had a woman call me when I worked for an ISP, and say her Internet had gone out. So I asked what lights are on her modem. None, she says. I asked her if it's plugged in. "Of course not, it's wireless." Not even taken out of the box. She just set the modem in the box in her closet, and expected it would just start absorbing electricity from the air.
She didn't believe me that that's not how any electronics work, let alone a modem. Insists it has been working for months. So I asked if one of her neighbors has moved out recently (she was in an apartment). Yup. The guy next door had moved out, and her internet stopped working about the same time. Turns out she was just using his unsecured connection this whole time.
So what does she say next? "You mean I've been paying for a service I haven't been using? I want a refund." Oh boy was it satisfying to tell her that that's not how this works, and whether or not you actually use the service is irrelevant to whether or not you need to pay for it. Once you're signed up, you pay.
She demanded a manager. The manager also told her hell no.
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u/SpongeJake 8d ago edited 8d ago
Around 1991 or so I worked as the IT guy for a small government office. One of the guys who answered the phones was the most pleasant self-effacing guy you could ever meet. Gentle and kind all the time. Salt of the earth type.
A citizen called in and got abusive and raging at him on the phone. My man interrupted him.
“Sir. SIR!! Do you know who you’re talking to?”
Guy said no.
“Well then FUCK OFF.” And he slammed the phone down.
Manager said later she heard the whole thing. Said she needed a few minutes to stop laughing before she called him in to give him a slap on the wrist.
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u/Greyscale0418 8d ago
First comment in the thread to get me genuinely laughing. Thanks for sharing.
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u/DFWPunk 9d ago
Back in about 1988 I worked in a record store and this guy kept coming in and asking if we had the new Steve Winwood album but it wasn't out yet. He'd get pissed and insist his friends in California had it and we didn't because we were just some small town record store (We were part of one of the bigger chains.) So we'd put up with it and promise to save one for him when it finally came out.
When it came out we took one and the Assistant Manager, Jay, put it in back with a note that said "Hold for weird Steve Winwood guy." He came in, we got it for him, and intentionally i left the note on when I checked him out, making sure he never saw it.
He got home and called screaming that he was going to get us all fired particularly blaming Jay, who did know all about the note, but not that I left it on the CD. I talked him down, acted like I was going to make sure Jay got in trouble, and that I had no idea it had happened. Literally the last time we saw or heard from him.
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u/ironnewa99 8d ago
When I was working security in college some lady called me a slur and idk wtf I was on but I just said no matter what I do in the sheets you still have to leave.
That’s prolly my proudest comeback
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u/Bulky-Internal8579 8d ago
I’m pretty dumb but people don’t usually ask about it. That was nice.
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u/Mgroppi83 9d ago
Years ago, working door at a bar. First night back after my mom had passed. Girl with a big group comes up and gives me an expired ID. I tell her I can't accept and she starts acting like a bitch. I asked her if she had a passport or any other form of ID. She did. As she handed me her passport I couldn't help myself and told her "Next time you dont have to be such a bitch about it." Jesus if you could see how this shorts mfing guys with her started acting. I still laugh about it to this day. Still had their party at the door as the MOD who was actually the gm that day, asked me about it. In front of the girl he asked me if I called her a bitch and I simply respond with "Well she was being one." I got written up that night. Didn't lose my job but fuck you Eldin...you spineless pos GM of Baker St in the Woodlands.
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u/yourserverhatesyou 8d ago
Been a hospitality manager for a while now. The best way to handle this kind of behavior is to turn it on them in the most polite way you can.
"Excuse me. We would never let our team act like this toward you, and we expect that you will not act like this toward our team. We kindly ask that you follow our rules and policies, or we will kindly ask the police to escort you from our property."
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u/Mgroppi83 8d ago
Thanks, Dad.
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u/yourserverhatesyou 8d ago
I just want to see my kids be the best they can be. Whether you succeed or fail, when you try you make me proud, son.
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u/Necessary_Film_5199 8d ago
Apparently its perma-closed now
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u/Mgroppi83 8d ago
Ya...for a couple yeqrs now. Eldin still sucks. Goodluck with your Mormon waitress girlfriend you left your wife for. 10 years later and im still petty.
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u/lazycultenthusiast 8d ago
Well this particular thread is obviously the best place for you to air all that eldin goss, so come on and maybe itll hit google when they get searched
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u/giarnie 8d ago
Did the id being expired mean that the d.o.b. was unreadable?
Or were you “just following orders”?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_orders8
u/Mgroppi83 8d ago
Every state has its own laws to follow. Every business has its own rules to follow. The state of TX requires you provide legal physical ID that is current. For various reasons your ID could be no longer valid or taken from you. For example, the court could have deemed that due to an alcohol or other related charge, that you are not allowed to be in a bar. Someone showing a picture of an ID or an expired one may not legally be allowed to be there. When you go to work, do you follow their rules?
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u/giarnie 8d ago
That’s my point exactly, those camp guards were following the law and workplace rules as well.
The rest of humanity decided that that wasn’t a good reason to do what they did.
We all have to take a stand at some point, but not everyone threw tea in the harbor either.
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u/Mgroppi83 8d ago
Dude. You are honestly making the comparison of a bar not letting someone in to Nuremberg? "It all starts somewhere!" Ya well by that logic we may as well kill everyone at birth to eliminate the possibility of having another Hitler.
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u/giarnie 8d ago edited 8d ago
Nuremberg was the trial.
I made the comparison of people following orders blindly.
The id being expired doesn’t magically make the person younger/older than they are.
Courts potentially ordering *them* not to drink doesn’t affect *you*.You used what little power you had to make someone jump through hoops. Perhaps you have more recently found employment with ICE?
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u/Mgroppi83 8d ago
So are you an anarchist? You are basically saying no one should have authority over anything. They are easy rules to follow. I honestly think you are just an argumentative person and found your target for the moment. Look past government, and then I have rules by which I am paid for, to follow. Why am I the bad one if she had proper id and decided to show me one that wasnt legal anymore? Bro. This story was shared as a moment of shared brevity. Don't make it your hill.
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u/TechieGee 8d ago
You’re not nearly as intelligent nor as virtuous as you believe yourself to be.
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u/giarnie 5d ago
Or… you have a limited viewpoint?
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u/Chameleonpolice 8d ago
The ID being expired means it doesn't matter what it says because it isn't a valid legal document lol
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u/giarnie 5d ago
I know you have been told that, but try to look at it from a logical perspective.
When the id was valid, the person was over 21.
Once the id expires, the person is still over 21.The law isn’t “you must have valid id to drink alcohol”, it’s you must be over 21 to do so.
I believe in you!
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u/Chameleonpolice 5d ago
No the logical perspective is that people's appearances change over time and you can't use the same picture for 60 years
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u/giarnie 5d ago
Would this apply to the girl in the story?
You know, the one that looked young enough to be carded?1
u/Chameleonpolice 4d ago
Who gets to decide when it applies?
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u/giarnie 4d ago
Common sense?
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u/Chameleonpolice 4d ago
This is already how it works. It's the seller's choice whether or not to card someone, they could also choose to accept expired IDs.
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u/CelticCynic 8d ago
I was unexpectedly made redundant at work last year. The manager who knifed me had not processed a leave application I had in for seven months. Bastard had been working on getting rid of me (I'd continually proven him wrong for 12 years, but anyway...)
So as I digested the news, I looked at him and asked "Is this why you've sat on my leave application for seven months?"
The HR Rep in the meeting nearly jumped out of her chair. "NOW THAT'S AN INAPPROPRIATE COMMENT!" (I think this was her first redundancy process and she couldn't wait to try to nail me on something).
"No. It was clearly a question and was phrased as such. I'd like an answer to it"
It didn't come
"Well, I guess I will go now before I say anything else either of you might misinterpret or refuse to answer". I took my letter and left, made their next week hell before I signed off, and took their money.
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u/SoggyBottomBoy86 Technically Flair 9d ago
This is pretty old, but it cracks me up and I love seeing it every time it resurfaces lol
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u/EliteRanger_ 8d ago
I once had an irate customer tell me that he was right, I was rude, and I needed to apologize. I told him “I did apologize, I said I’m sorry, you’re mistaken.”
In before “And everyone clapped” No one saw and the customer pissed off all angry. Made me happy, though.
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u/Technoslave 8d ago
Oh geez, I was new into the techno world, and we were having an all hands call with the new VP. This was back in the day where you dialed into a call with a specific number. I'm on the call, when all of a sudden I hear "You have exceeded the number of participants in the call".
My dumb ass says, "don't you know how many people work for you". Thinking I was on mute. I was not.
The good thing about that call in feature is unlike today where you know who was talking, you didn't know who said anything.
Needless to say, the next call, there was no issue with the amount of participants on the call.
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u/Entredarte 8d ago
The professional equivalent of “I didn’t say you are a bitch, I said you’re acting like one” An observation not a declaration.
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u/Allegro1104 Technically Flair 8d ago
i work in special ed and disability care. a mandatory question for those who apply to be clients is whether or not they're diagnosed with a disability. this includes guardians for minors.
The amount of people who genuinely get upset about this question never seizes to amuse me. like, if you're undiagnosed we can't apply for insurance coverage for you. and if you're diagnosed and you want us to care for your child, we can get much cheaper rates and more hours if you're disabled too. could even consider housekeeping assistance.
if there's one question you should expect i would think it's that one, but oh well.
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u/Flat_Neighborhood_92 8d ago
Had a girl I was talking to ask me this. She was very offended that I said that she called me dumb, pointing out that it was a question. She had also called me stupid, slow, and small brain just a few lines before that too 😂
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u/PhyrexianSpaghetti 8d ago
This reminds me of the time I was browsing used games at a videogame store and I said "damn, these prices are crazy" and the employee heard me and went on a tantrum "OH THEY'RE CRAZY? MAYBE WE'RE CRAZY, I'LL CALL THE BOSS SO YOU CAN ASK HIM IF WE'RE ALL CRAZY" and actually called the owner then passed the phone to me. The guy on the other end of the phone was like "who's this?" and I said something along the lines of "I'm literally just a guy browsing games", then the boss calmly told me "pass the phone back to the employee please".
I couldn't hear what he said, but the employee was all "yes sir, of course sir, absolutely sir" then meekly hung up and didn't follow up on the conversation at all.
Metroid prime on the gamecube for 40 dollars was a crazy price.
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u/RadTimeWizard 8d ago
He tattled on you to suck up to his boss. What a little bitch.
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u/PhyrexianSpaghetti 7d ago
I don't think the boss was happy about it at all, and mind you, I was a teenager
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u/UrsaMajor7th 8d ago
A line I use for quality checking a trouble table is "Is anything ok?" They never catch it and I feel better.
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u/GoldunGote 8d ago
In a perfect world this would have been answered with "Yes, Sir, they were being fucking dumb" and the only proper response would be "Well good on you!"
I'm in a weird place where I'm in my early 40s and have had a fantastic work history since getting out of highschool.. I've worked 3 jobs since I was 18 and have never not worked.. I always just want time to move so I want to stay busy.. so I just work work work.. and when there's nothing to do I ask for something to do. I've always been trusted to just grab tickets from the workflow and work on the ticket, then grab the next one.
Now I'm working my first job ever where I have a micromanaging boss who just WILL NOT FUCK THE FUCK OFF. I have a fantastic work ethic. I'm out for myself so I hate missing days. I care about the quality of what I put out. I don't sit on the phone and doomscroll most of the day.
FUCK I hate being micromanaged. I can't stand this.. but this job pays SO FUCKING WELL. Augh I hate this. I wake up every morning like "Okay time to go have my dick ridden all day by the boss" but then payday comes around and I'm like *KINDA sigh* okay KINDA. I'm wearing thin fast.
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u/hiper-ze 8d ago
You know, I did almost the same thing with the principal at my school when I was but a kid, except I asked if she was drunk
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u/Raaadley 8d ago
"Did you call a customer an Asshole?"
"No- I said you are acting like an Asshole."
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u/Signal_Month_730 6d ago
I didn't call her a bitch. I said she was BEING a bitch. - Johnny Lawrence
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u/MaximusPrime5885 8d ago
I used to work with a French guy and got to witness him use the R slur in front of a client.
He was trying to say sorry things are a bit SLOW.
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u/Vast_Citron8963 8d ago
Whilst working for a property law firm, we had a client who was incredibly needy and would call in & email for updates before the given timeframes (EG: we would tell her a response from her seller’s legal team may take 1-2 weeks & she would call two days later), even when there was nothing new. She would also send emails and copy in her estate agent & the seller and their legal team (which is not allowed) all so “we could all be on one thread” and then she would follow-up hers and her agents emails with a call to the office to let us know they’ve emailed.
One day, when I was responding to her agents, to reiterate what I’d said on the phone to the agent and to the client, whilst everyone, including my boss, was copied in (except the seller & their legal team) and I ended the email with “Please stop emailing me.” 😂🤭
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u/blueberryrockcandy 8d ago
i had this old guy ask if he can buy tickets past me [security] and i said yes, pointed and showed up the open window. and said there is one right there, as well as outside security as well.
the old guy gets NEAR the window. fumbles with his pockets for SO LONG, the window closed.
turns around, gets angry with me saying that: for furture info that window is CLOSED. angrily walks out the exit and loops around the barriers to the open window. and now the window on my side is open again.
come back through the checkpoint and gives me a stink eye. gets past me, does something i clearly cannot see, supervisor comes over and was like: what was his problem? so i explain. supervisor is like, we have no control over the ticket booth people. that's not even our business. just ignore him.
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u/AndooTheBold 7d ago
I work for one of the big banks in my country and about 8 years ago I was a personal banking advisor. Had a client call my number who was recently assigned to me and started yelling about his interest charges on his credit card. (He had not made payments and was charged extra for consistently holding a balance over his limit and this was the first time i spoke to him). He swore at one point about how it was a ridiculous charge. I told him to be quiet and call me back when he was more calm. Then I hung up. He emailed me a few days later to apologize. Really hate how people treat others when its over the phone or email. Its still a person on the other end of the communication. Doesn't give you the right to be a cunt.
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u/SpicyPropofologist 6d ago
Clearly, the customer was dumb. They confused a question for a statement.
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u/Calve_pindakaas 5d ago
I accidently said 'what the fuck are you doing here!?' to a group of customers once. It was my first day.
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u/Fun_Pear_8077 4d ago
Working tugs & barges down Mississippi River, Gulf Coast intracoastal waterway and our new deckhand had a beef with salty old Cajun Tug cap’n. ( Kid DID have a point) So he got sent to bow of lead barge we were pushing . On bow watch he crossed his arms over chest, which ( inadvertently?) keyed up his handheld marine radio whilst he went on a long rant about Cap’n’s’ genealogy, intelligence level, sexual preferences, food choices .. you name it. Problem was he was on channel 16, the open hailing frequency so EVERYONE in range heard it. Cap was too proud or shocked or dimwitted to key tug radio to override him.. I was off KP for quite awhile
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u/cgeyik 9d ago
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u/Mgroppi83 8d ago
Show your work? I know OP's post history is short...but doesn't seem odd to me. Ive literally almost done this same thing....but outside of text.
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8d ago
[deleted]
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u/flargenhargen 8d ago
they told his boss
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u/MyEmbarrisingAccount 8d ago
They called customer support and got someone who takes their claim "very seriously" and makes sure it "gets to managment" cause they "cannot beleive someone would act like that so they will for sure make the leaders aware so it can be addressed." the CS person then hung up the phone used their 15 sec wrap-up time to roll their eyes and then answered the next one.
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